Ghosts of Christmas Past
Ghosts of Christmas Past is a special episode of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders that was aired on Christmas Day of 2004. Synopsis It is Christmas in Midsomer and a shot rings out from the Villers' home, Draycott House. Nine years later the entire family reunites again at the house. Meanwhile DCI Barnaby heads home for Christmas but all things have a habit of happening around the season of goodwill.The Villers family return home from church, Aunt Lydia gets locked in the garage and the engine of the car starts itself. Lydia is rescued in the nick of time, however, Later that evening she has a tumble down the stairs. The two detectives take a break from the Christmas festivities to investigate. Plot With his parents-in-law visiting for the holidays, DCI Barnaby is almost relieved to be called out when Lydia Villiers claims she was pushed down the staircase. When she dies, the police have a possible murder case on their hands. The Villiers family has re-united for Christmas including a long lost brother, Ross, but there are many secrets in the house. One subject that is not talked about much is the suicide of one of the siblings, Ferdie, nine years previously. Several of the young adults in the house, children when their uncle took his life, have memories of the incident. When the police learn that Ferdie's fiancée also committed suicide soon after his death, they have a better understanding of who might be seeking revenge. Cast *John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby *John Hopkins as Sergeant Dan Scott *Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby *Laura Howard as Cully Barnaby *Barry Jackson as Dr. George Bullard *Haydn Gwynne as Jennifer Carter *Margery Mason as Lydia Villiers *Bruce Alexander as Dominic Jones *Mel Martin as Kate Frears *Philip Quast as Ross Villiers *William Chubb as Digby Frears *Alice Patten as Emily Hide *Dominic Colenso as Aidan Carter *Rory Copus as Howard Frears *Lydia Leonard as Phoebe Frears *Kevin Doyle as Ferdy Villiers *Claire Carrie as Claire English *Daphne Oxenford as Muriel *John Burgess as Douglas *Bryan Matheson as Vicar *Harry Gostelow as Doctor *Charles Millham as Detective *Christopher Sutton as Aidan Aged 11 *Gemma Bourne as Phoebe Aged 12 (as Gemma Martin) *Luke Foster as Howard Aged 4 *Tim Treloar as Drinker in Pub *Laura Jeffree as Girl *Zoe Verner as Drunk Girl (uncredited) Galleries Body Count Ferdy-villiers.jpg|Ferdy Villiers Committed suicide by shotgun 9 years prior to the events of the episode. Claire-english.jpg|Claire English Committed suicide by routing car exhaust into the car. Lydia-villiers.jpg|Lydia Villiers Pushed down stairs and died later in hospital. Jennifer-carter.jpg|Jennifer Carter Murdered by explosion of a shotgun barrel caused by a smaller shell being jammed into the chamber and then the proper shell being fired in the blocked barrel. Supporting Cast Digby-frears.jpg|Digby Frears Kate-frears.jpg|Kate Frears Aidan-carter.jpg|Aidan Carter Emily-hide.jpg|Emily Hide Ross-villiers.jpg|Ross Villiers Dominic-jones.jpg|Dominic Jones Howard-frears.jpg|Howard Frears Phoebe-frears.jpg|Phoebe Frears Muriel.jpg|Muriel Douglas.jpg|Douglas Episode Images Ghosts-of-christmas-past-01.jpg Ghosts-of-christmas-past-02.jpg Ghosts-of-christmas-past-03.jpg Ghosts-of-christmas-past-04.jpg Ghosts-of-christmas-past-05.jpg Ghosts-of-christmas-past-06.jpg Video Notes *This episode was filmed during series seven, but it was broadcast as part of series eight. The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes *Tim Treloar - Birds of Prey, The Fisher King and Secrets and Spies *Harry Gostelow - Birds of Prey *Charles Millham - Hidden Depths and Last Year's Model *Haydn Gwynne - Dark Secrets *Kevin Doyle - The Oblong Murders *Daphne Oxenford - Four Funerals and a Wedding and Blood Wedding *John Burgess - Blood Wedding *Bryan Matheson - The Axeman Cometh Category:Special Episode